Improvement in hat-felting



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.;

JOB w. BLACKHAM, or' BROOKLYN, NEw'* YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAT-FELTING MACHINES.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 [,959, dated December 10,1867.

To all whom it may concern:

\ represented) which heats and throws up the Beit known that I, JOB XV. BLAOKHAM, of `water, asbeforeintimated. N'is acorrespond- Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and VState of New York, have invented certain new `and y useful Improvements in Machines for Felting Hat-Bodies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

My improved machine employs rollers arranged in horizontal layers and revolving to` gether, so as to traverse the hat in one direction along their upper surfaces, while a presser, peculiarly held by springs, is reciprocated backward and forward, as also, if preferred, at certain periods laterally relatively to the motion of the rolls. A tank of water is supported under the rollers, and steam-pipes are immersed in the water, and provided with 'holes on their upper sides, through which jets of steam issue with sufficient force to throw u p the water in a boiling condition against and between the rollers, so as to keepv the hatbodies wet and very thoroughly heated while they are passing over the rollers.

I have in former applications for patents set forth the features above described. The chief peculiarities of my present invent-ion lie, first,

in the arrangement of the rollers and the top tables in two sets, so related that the hatbodies will be carried through one set in one direction and returned through the other set inthe opposite direction; second, in the mounting of the reciprocating platforms or pressers on springs, so arranged that the pressure is more lively and less dull and heavy than heretofore; and, third, in a careful proportioning of the velocities ofthe parts to induce a tighter rolling of the hat-body as it traverses through the machine.

, I will now proceed to describe what I consider the best means of carrying out my invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, showing a machine constructed according to myinvention.

The figures represent the novel parts, with so much of the other parts as is necessary to understand their relations thereto.

A is the frame-work of the machine. N is abroad pan supplied with water, and n is a pipe supplied with steam from a boiler, (not ing pan, mounted directly over the pan N, and similarly supplied with steam.

lb is a set of rollers, driven Ly gearing, -f arranged as indicated bythe red Outline, so that all the rollers revolve in the same direction. bh" is a corresponding set of rollers similarly driven, but in the opposite directior. The rollers are mounted immediatelyover and close to the pau N. '.lherollers bx are (l and CN' are pressers or rubbers, which reci procates over the sets of rolls, the presser C working over the lower set of rolls, b, and the presser GN working over the upper set of rollers, bx. The motion of the rolls b2" carries the hats to the left. The motion of the rollers b carries them in the opposite direction, to the right. There is an operator at each end., who handles the hats, unrolls, and rerolls them, as is necessary. There is a deep vessel, with hot water, at cach end, and an inclined surface or plankj on which the hats are thus re-rolled each ti me, or as often as is necessary, preparatory to their being passed through the machine in either direction. There are belts J and J' working on pulleys, as represented, or equivalent connections, by gearing or the like, which cause the shaft D and the several sets -of rollers to operate in proper relations to each other, the whole being driven by a steam-engine or other suitable motive power through the medium of the gearing or other ordinary mechanical connections. y (Not represented.)

F F are levers, turning on the axes ff, and

actuated bythe `links or connectingfrod e` e2, `which extend from cranks on the shaft D, as

indicated. The levers F F take hold of the reciprocating rubbers C and CN by embracing the pins or arms C C2, which extend horizon-` tally from each, and stand within slots in the levers F, so that the platforms C and GN are free to rise and sink to a limited extent without 'interfering with their reciprocating mosimilarly mounted over and close to the pan 'y on the fibers of the Wool or fur as is effected by the hands of a skillful operator.' My machine approximates nearer to handwork than any before known to me, and I ascribe the superiority in part to a peculiar mode which I have adopted of mounting the rubbers or platforms C and Each rubber is heldup by a strong spring, which is able to more than counterbalance its weight, and is at the same time held down by another spring, which, added to the weight of the rubber or top table, maintains it in the proper position. It follows that the pressure upon the hats is less dead and less violent at any moment than when the weight of the rubber is relied upon to pr-oduce the squeezing action. The weight of the rubbers in my machine is comparatively little, andthe inertia is triiiing. The rubbers, consequently, dance lightly, and act upon the fibers with a different degree of force from what they do when, as in the machines described in my former applications, the weight ,rests upon the hats, and is only partially balanced by supporting-springs.

A is a pocket or trough, in which the bodies are dropped and retained as they are discharged from the upper series of rollers and rubbers.

A2 is a corresponding pocket, in which they are retained when discharged from the lower series.

Many modifications of the forms of the parts may be made without departing from the principle of my invention. I prefer for the rubbers solid surfaces of oak wood, iiuted crosswise, as represented; but I believe that a series of rollers properly held can be used for top tables or rubbers. I do not confine myself to any precise number of rollers, nor to the precise mode of working the'two rubbers herein-described. It is not necessary that the rubbers operate at the same time, one in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. They may both operate together in the same direction, or one may be in its most rapid motion while the other is at rest, or the times of their motion may have various other relations without impairing the result; but there is one point about the motions of the parts which I deem very important, and consider a part of my presentinvention, which I Will now describe.

The upper surfaces of all the rolls in the upper series move toward the left with uniformr velocity. The rubber moves horizontally in4 the same direction and in the reverse direction. Now, I find it important that the velocity of the reverse motion shall be carefully adjusted, so that it shall tend to roll the hat in a tighter roll, instead of loosening it, as is liable to be the case if care is not taken in this regard. My rollers are bunched or covered with beads, which vary the action, so as Ato approach the condition ofthe knuckles of the hands 5 but inasmuch as the depressions between the beads are of little moment, except to relax the pressure of the rollers at th ose points, I. will consider the diameter in those depreseter of the rollers as that of the beads, or the largest parts, which is two and threeiquarter inches. The traverse of each top table or rubber is nine inches. rI he crank D revolves ninety-ve times per minute. I have tried several different velocities of rotation ofthe rollers and find that eighty-five revolutions per minute succeeds admirably. I tried forty-five with a very bad result. rlhe hat-bodies were very sleazy, and in some instances became completely unrolled and issued from the machine derolledup. I tried sixtysrevolutions per minute with a somewhat better result; seventyfive with a still better result, and eighty-live with a result which seems to me perfect. The hats are equal in texture to those felted by the most skillful workman by hand.

I have given the above data, from which other hatters may make their own calcula tions; but, to generalize the proposition as far as may be, I would vsay that the forward motion of the top surfaces of the rollers in each bed Vshould be three-sevenths as fast as the quickest part of the reciprocating motion of the top table or rubber which lies thereon. Exactly how the particular relation of the velociti es effects the felting of the material I cannot very clearly explain. I do not consider it necessary to do so. It may be sufficient that I have determined the useful result and give the exact proportions and details which I have foundV successful. It has the effect to deliver the hat-body as tightly rolled up as it entered the machine, care being taken to introduce the hat-body in the right direction, so that the free edge shall be presented, as in Fig. 2. f

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new in machines for felting hatbodies, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows: y

l. The duplicate series of rolls b and bN, and rubbers (l and GN', or their equivalents, with their water-pans NN and jets of hot'water or steam, as represented, arranged to operate to` in specified. 2. Mounting the reciprocating rubber over the bed of rolls, so as to allow of its ascent and descent by means of springs, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

J. w. BLAcKr'mM. [L s] sions as of no account, and will give the diam tached from the cloth with which they were.

gether in the manner and for the purpose here` 

